Regulations for Al-Haydh(Menstruation) and Nifas(Ponstnatal Bleeding)
The Definition of Al-Haydh
Al-Haydh or menstruation is the flow of blood from the womb of the woman who has attained the age of puberty. It is a period that occurs in knowable cycles, that may help in planning for children. Its shortest period is one day, its longest period is fifteen days, and the average period is seven days. The woman’s purity between periods of menstruation is thirteen days or fifteen days at the least, and at its longest, it has no limit. The normal cycle of purity lasts for twenty-three or twenty-four days. Women can be divided in this concern into three categories: the beginner, the normal case, and Al-Mustahadhah.[1] Each case has particular rulings.
The Beginner
The beginner is the female that sees menstruation blood for the first time. Her case is that when she sees it, she gives up Salah, fasting, and sexual intercourse and waits for purity. If she enters the state of purity after one day or more than fifteen days, she performs Ghusl and performs Salah. If the menstrual blood lasts longer than fifteen days, she falls under the ruling of Al-Mustahadhah and all that applies in the case of Al-Mustahadhah applies to her.
If the menstrual blood flows irregularly after fifteen days, bleeding for one or two days then ceasing, she has to perform Ghusl and perform Salah each time she thinks that she is in a pure state, and when she sees blood, she does not perform Salah.
The Normal Case
The normal case refers to the woman whose menstruation periods lasts for a specific and known number of days. During this period, she does not perform Salah, she does not fast, and she does not engage in sexual intercourse. If she sees a yellowish discharge or a murky discharge after the regular days of her period, she disregards them. Umm ‘Atiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “We used to disregard the yellowish discharge and murky discharge after becoming pure (from menstruation).”
But if she sees either the yellowish discharged or the turbid discharge during her known days, she considers either of them as menstruation. Thus, she should neither performs Salah, nor fast.[2] ______________________________
[1] The Maliki and Shafi’i scholars add a fourth category; the pregnant. She has the ruling of one who is not pregnant as long as her period remains unchanged. If her period changes, Ibn Al-Qasim said: After the three months she is considered menstruating for fifteen days, after six months of pregnancy she is considered menstruating for twenty days.” Then at the end of pregnancy, she is considered menstruating for thirty days. He opines menstrual blood increases with the duration of the pregnancy. As for Hanbalis and Hanafis, they disregard the blood during the pregnancy. They see this blood as a symptom of an illness; unless it occurs two or three days before delivery, then it is considered postnatal bleeding and carries that ruling. [2] Some scholars see that she whose menstrual blood lasts for a longer period than normal, should wait
for three days more than her known period, then make Ghusl and perform Salah as long as the period does not exceed fifteen days. In this case she is to be considered as Mustahadhah, so she does not wait for the three days but makes Ghusal and performs Salah as the Mustahadhah. Some others are of the opinion that Salah should be performed during the surplus days after the known period, except in the event the surplus bleeding occurs twice or three times since her new known period is amended in accordance with that.
-------------------------------------------
Al-Mustahadhah
Al-Mustahadhah is the women whose bleeding does not cease. If she is certain of her normal days of menstruation, she does not perform Salah during these days. Upon the passing of these days, she performs Ghusal, performs Salah, fasts, and may engage in sexual intercourse.
If she does not normally have a menstrual period, or she experiences it but has forgotten when they normally begin or their number of days, she must distinguish between the blood discharged. If the flowing blood alternates between black and red, she should not perform Salah while it is black, and she should perform Ghusl and perform Salah otherwise, as long as the period does not exceed fifteen days.
If it is difficult for her to distinguish between the flowing blood, she should avoid the Salah for the normal period of menstruation, i.e., six or seven days of every month, then perform Ghusl and perform Salah.
During the days of her Istihadhah she performs ablution for each Salah, and wearing some sort of absorbent protection, she performs Salah even if the blood is flowing. She is not to have sexual intercourse except out of necessity.
The following Hadiths give support for the previous rulings:
1. Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (SAW), asked the verdict of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) about a woman with excessive bleeding. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
“Let her consider which days and nights she would previously have menstruation during the month before suffering from this problem. She should then give up the prayer during them. Upon the passing of the normal period, let her perform Ghusl, tie a cloth, then perform the prayer.”
(Abu Dawud and An-Nasa‘i with a Hasan Chain.)
This Hadith supports the normal case of Al-Mustahadhah.
2. The Hadith concerning Fatimah bint Abu Hubaysh, who used to have excessive bleeding. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to her:
“If the bleeding is black and recognizable, it is menstruation blood, if it is thus, give up the prayer. If it is the other, perform ablution after having a bath, and perform prayer since it is a blood vessel.” (Abu Dawud, An-Nasa‘i, and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih.)
This Hadith supports the case of the one who has no menstrual cycle or one who forgot her normal period of menstruation while the blood flow was easily distinguishable.
3. The Hadith concerning Hamnah bint Jahsh who said: “I used to have severe excessive bleeding, I came to the Prophet (SAW) asking Him his verdict. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
“This is only the work of Satan. So, consider your menstrual cycle to be six or seven days, then perform Ghusl. Having done so, perform the prayer twenty-four or twenty-three days, you may fast and pray. This will suffice you and do so every month as the other women do.”
(At-Tirmithi who said it is Sahih)
This Hadith supports the case of the one who has no menstrual cycle nor is she able to make a distinction between the bleeding.
An-Nifas (Postnatal Bleeding)
An-Nifas is the blood that flows from the vagina after childbirth. It has no minimum limit. Whenever she becomes pure, by the end of the blood flow, then she performs Ghusl and performs Salah. As for sexual intercourse, it is undesirable before forty days have passed, since it may cause harm to her. Its maximum limit is forty days. Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The woman who gave birth would sit for forty days. I asked the Messenger of Allah (SAW): ‘How many days does the woman sit after giving birth?’ The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Forty days, unless she becomes pure before that.”
“(At-Tirmithi who considered its transmission deficient, and Al-Hakim who graded his version Sahih)
Accordingly, after forty days, the woman experiencing Nifas performs Ghusl, performs Salah, and fasts even if does not seem to be pure yet, in which case she follows the rules for case of Al-Mustahadhah.
According to some of the people of knowledge, the woman experiencing Nifas should wait for fifty or sixty days. However, waiting for only forty days is safer for her religion.
Determining Purity
Purity can be recognized by two things:
1. The white, clear, discharge which comes out indicating purity.
2. The drying. This means that she inserts a piece of cotton for absorption. She should do this before going to sleep, when she awakes, she can inspect it to see if she has become pure or not.
What is Not Allowed Due to Menstruation and Postnatal Bleeding
1. Sexual intercourse. Allah the Almighty said:
(And do not go unto them till they are purified.) (2:22)
2. Salah and fasting. Fasting is to be made-up after purity, but Salah is not to be made-up. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
“Is it not the case that when the woman menstruates, she does not pray nor fast?”
(Al-Bukhari)
‘A‘ishah, may Allah be pleased with her said, “We experienced menstruation during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger (SAW). We were ordered to make-up the fasts, and we were not ordered to make-up the prayers for it.” (Al-Bukhari)
3. Entering the Masjid. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
“I do not make the Masjid permissible for menstruating, nor the one in a state of sexual impurity.” (Abu Dawud)
4. Reading the Qur’an. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
“The one in a state of sexual impurity and the menstruating are not to recite anything of the Qur’an.” (See earlier)
5. Divorce. A menstruating woman is not to be divorced while on her menses. Rather one should wait until the period she becomes pure, then she may be divorced without touching her (without having sexual intercourse with her).
This is due to the narration of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he divorced his wife while on her menses. Allah’s Messenger (SAW) ordered him to return to her and wait until she became pure. (Al-Bukhari)
What is Allowed During Menstruation and Postnatal Bleeding
1. Fondling, and embracing without disturbing the vagina.
This is due to saying of Allah’s Messenger (SAW):
“Do whatever you want except for intercourse.” (The group with the exception of Al-Bukhari)
2. Remembrance of Allah the Almighty, since there is no legislated prohibition against it.
3. Assuming the state of Ahram, standing on the Day of ‘Arafah, and all other rituals of ‘Umrah and Hajj except for Tawaf. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to ‘A‘ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
“Do the rituals that the pilgrims do; but do not make Tawaf before you become pure.”
4. Eating and drinking with them. ‘A‘ishah said: “While I was having menstruating, I used to drink and give the vessel to Allah’s Messenger where he would drink from the very same place I drank.” (Muslim) ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I asked the Prophet (SAW) about eating with the menstruating woman. He (SAW) said:
“Eat with her.” (Ahmad and At-Tirmithi who said it was Hasan)